Why am I here?

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 1/19/10 Tuesday 4 Shevat 5770

10 lines from the end of page 9 – line starts “hanaal”.


In tohu also there was the aspect of abiyah – atzilus and the lower levels, even though all is in the aspect of nekudah – sharp self-definition, without wider development. Nevertheless in that nekudah is contained abiyah.


Though briayh came from atzilus, in tohu they were separate, without a real relationship. Even now in the olam of tikun, where there is an inter-relationship, still atzilus is in a category all by itself. There is a categorical difference between elokus and the nivrah (creation).


Atzilus is overall the inyan of chochmah and briayah corresponds to binah – both are like sechel in that they relate to what is above them. The knowledge of chochmah is all about the knowledge, and not, “I know”. Briyah has a sense of self. Like binah, though there is a focus on the source / truth, it is “how the truth is translated on the outside”. It is known because, “I understand it, not because it is there”. This is the difference between elokus and nivrah (creation).


Elokus is not really a presence – it is the default truth – the fundamental truth. In briyah things have to be explained and justified.


Nivroim know they are created. We have logical imperatives that say these things were created and there is a Creator. At this level we know the shortcoming of a nivrah, but we don't know the Creator. However there is also an inyan of hergesh of elokus – even though he's a nivrah he can be margish (sense) the metzius of elokus. He feels, “this creation comes from a Creator that does not have the limits of this creation”.


Usually we are preoccupied with, “what am I from my perspective”, but when one is refined he senses that a task and an identity has been assigned to him. The start of his path was with self interest, but he develops an interest in the truth itself. He starts to sense that his presence represents a will of the Creator. Why am I here? Not because I chose it, but because He chose to send me.


The sense is that the Creator does not have the shortcomings of the the creations – there is a reality in His presence. This knowledge is limited to the metziut levad – ie he senses that there is a place where I end and He begins. In our context this is the difference between chochmah and binah. In this context the nivrah is limited to binah and metziut levad.

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